A little girl believed to have been abducted was last seen holding the hand of a recently released violent criminal as he led her off into the night three days ago.
Sharon Granites, 5, was reported missing from Ilyperenye (Old Timers) Town Camp outside Alice Springs in the Northern Territory around 11.30pm on Anzac Day.
Police believe Sharon was taken by Jefferson Lewis, 47, a newly-released prisoner who was present at the camp on Saturday evening.
NT Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley revealed on Tuesday that Lewis had been seen ‘holding’ the little girl’s hand shortly before she vanished.
As the manhunt continues, police still hope Sharon is alive, but Asst Commr Malley admitted: ‘As time goes on, those chances reduce.’
He also revealed police had identified a crime scene nearby which has now been taped off, as police ‘process items of interest’.
Detectives believe Lewis ‘led the little girl away to the crime scene’.
Police also revealed they had been called out to the Town Camp earlier the same evening, when Lewis was captured on bodycam footage.
Police believe Sharon Granites, 5, was abducted from a Northern Territory home on Saturday
Convicted criminal Jefferson Lewis was seen holding Sharon’s hand as he led her away
NT Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley and Executive Director of Cultural Reform Leane Liddle during a press conference outside Alice Springs Police Station
Mr Malley confirmed ‘alcohol had been consumed’ on the night Sharon went missing and that Lewis was ‘probably under the influence’.
The Australian Defence Force, Aboriginal trackers and around 70 volunteers have joined the search, covering difficult terrain that involves soft sand and long grass.
It’s understood Lewis – who was recently released from prison without conditions despite a lengthy list of criminal convictions – was staying at a home within OId Timers, and was known to Sharon’s family.
Police said Sharon and her mother had attended the address that night to do some washing and the mum was ‘distraught’ over her little girl’s disappearance.
Lewis was sentenced to four months in prison in March 2025, after pleading guilty to breaching a domestic violence order and resisting police.
This came just five months after Mr Lewis faced court charged with aggravated assault, breaching his domestic violence order and breaching bail.
In October 2024 he was given a total sentence of 18 months, with a 12-month non-parole period.
Police have attended addresses connected to Lewis in the Indigenous communities of Yuendumu and Lajamanu, but believe he has not left the area.
Sharon’s mother is ‘distraught’ over the disappearance of her little girl
Old Timers is a small settlement of Aboriginal people south of Alice Springs
It is understood he does not have access to a vehicle, but police haven’t ruled out that someone may be helping him.
Sharon was last seen wearing a dark blue short sleeve T-shirt with a white ring stripe around the neck and white ring stripe around the end of the sleeves, and a pair of black boxer style underwear.
Police are urging anyone with information to make contact on 131 444 and quote reference number P26120934.